My Big Sister
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: This is a very AU story. It imagines that Regina and Zelena grew up together in this world. No curse. They just live in Storybrooke. There's mentions of SQ later on so if you don't like that just skip it I guess but the main focus on the story is Regina and Zelena growing up as sisters


_A comfort Regina fic, possibly featuring a (good) big sister Zelena, some Granny or whomever you feel fits better – nannyalberte_

_This is a very AU story. It imagines that Regina and Zelena grew up together in this world. No curse. They just live in Storybrooke. There's mentions of SQ later on so if you don't like that just skip it I guess but the main focus on the story is Regina and Zelena growing up as sisters._

_In this story Henry is biologically Regina's son. _

Five year old Zelena Mills skips happily outside Granny's Diner. Her mama has to work a lot so she and her younger sister Regina often end up being looked after by Granny. Zelena likes Granny. The older woman always gives them ice-cream and sometimes if they're really good hot cocoa too. Plus she helps her with her homework when her mama is too busy.

Today she has none so she's skipping with a rope that Granny's daughter has long lost interest in. "One….Two…Three…" she mumbles to herself practicing her counting as she skips over the pink and purple rope. Her red pigtails whirl as she jumps and one of them hits in the face. She huffs before setting the rope down. She sits down on the steps wondering what else there is to do.

Regina, her three year old baby sister toddlers around with a strawberry ice-cream cone peering into planters and bushes to see if she can spot any ladybirds. Their mama read them a story about a ladybird the other day and Regina's been obsessed ever since. Zelena's about to get up to join her when she sees Pongo coming over.

_Yay! _She thinks upon seeing her favourite dog. Unfortunately her sister doesn't see the dog and the Dalmatian collides with the three year old sending Regina and her ice-cream to the crowd. Zelena runs over as she hears her little sister crying. Since Regina was born Zelena has loved being a big sister and she does her best to look after the smaller brunette.

"'Gina!" she cries out as she runs over to the now sobbing toddler.

"'Lena!" her sister shouts holding her arms up for her big sister. Archie kneels down next to Regina, "I'm so sorry Regina. Let me help you up."

"No!" Regina screams, "I want my big sister!"

"I here!" Zelena yells quickly helping Regina up before pulling her in for a hug. "You okay?" she asks.

"I dropped my ice-cream" Regina sobs dramatically pointing to the fallen cone. Zelena gasps before taking her sister's hand, "You don't need ice-cream."

"I don't?" Regina asks in confusion.

"Nope," Zelena says before pulling her sister towards the Diner. They walk over to the counter. "Granny!" Zelena calls out and the kind old woman appears before kneeling down in front of the little redhead, "Hello Zellie."

"Gina needs pancakes," Zelena replies.

"She does?" Granny asks looking from Zelena to the still sniffling toddler beside her.

Zelena nods seriously, "Pongo knocked her down which makes him a naughty dog and then she felled down and lost her ice-cream so she needs cheer up pancakes."

Granny smiles proudly at the little girl ruffling her hair before scooping up Regina, "What do you think 'Gina Bear? Cheer up pancakes?"

"Apple ones?" Regina asks hopefully.

Granny chuckles, "Of course" she says before setting the toddler down next to her big sister and preparing the pancakes.

* * *

"Stop it!" Regina cries out as two older boys hold her bag above the six year old's head. Even for six Regina is a little small and the bullies know it. They laugh as they toss the bag to each other knowing the younger girl can't reach it. Regina sniffles trying to stop herself from crying knowing it only makes the bullies tease her more.

Regina hates the break between the time school finishes and the moment her mother's car comes to pick them up. She always sprints to the car when she sees it to avoid the bigger kids who try to get her. Most days Zelena's around and they don't try anything but today her sister got held back by the teacher for something leaving her out here on her own. Her friends have already gone home and she can't leave because she has to wait for her sister and mother.

She jumps up trying to get the backpack and that only spurs the older two boys on more. Killian and Robin their names are and since day one they've zeroed in on the younger girl. They never bother her when her friends or sister are around. They always wait for her to be by herself knowing she's too little to get away from both of them.

Regina frowns as they hold the bag higher before she feels her cheeks burn red as they taunt her. Her frown deepens and she runs to kick Killian. "Ow!" he cries as he reaches for his sore shin and drops the bag. She smiles quickly grabbing the backpack and moving to run off. She doesn't get far because Robin grabs her by the back of her collar and shoves her to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing kicking my friend? Apologise," he orders.

She looks up with a scowl trying to brush the dust off her skirt, "No."

Regina winces as she sees him raising a fist but his punch never comes. Instead a fist flies into his face and he falls to the ground. "Get off my sister!" Zelena shouts before helping her sister up. "You okay?" she asks.

Regina nods, "I'm okay. No worse than normal."

"It doesn't matter, they still shouldn't push you around like that. It's not fair."

"Why not? She's a little crybaby," Killian jeers and Zelena frowns.

"She's my sister and you'll leave her alone!"

"Who's going to make me?" he asks.

"Me," Zelena says defiantly.

He laughs before moving to shove her. She ducks out the way before tackling him to the ground. The pair scrap and fight as Regina tries to pull Killian away from her big sister. Neither of them see their mother pulling up in her car or her until she breaks up the fight. At the sight of a grown-up Killian and Robin run off.

Cora picks up her two girls quickly dusting them off, "Are you two okay?" she asks worriedly.

Regina nods, "Zelena saved me!" she shouts proudly.

"You did?" Cora asks looking at her eldest daughter. She frowns at the cut on Zelena's knee knowing it will need a bandaid.

"No-one picks on my little sister," Zelena replies putting her arm around her younger sister. She doesn't care that she'll need antiseptic and a bandaid later. It was worth it so protect her little sister.

* * *

Cora frowns as she looks up towards the season. Her younger daughter has been holed up there since she came home and Cora cannot get a word out of her. Regina won't even tell her what has upset her. She smiles as Zelena walks in fresh from a practice for one of her sports. "Zelena how was your day?"

The sixteen year old shrugs. "It was alright. They're having another party at the school," she announces, "if Miss Blanchard is organising it again though I bet it will be lame."

Cora bites back a laugh. She knows she should tell her daughter not to make that judgement but Miss Blanchard's parties are renowned for being rather dull. "Well it's still a nice fundraiser for the school."

Zelena gives her a pointed look, "Really Mom?"

"Well I'm just saying it might still be a nice night out. If nothing else you and your friends can make mockery over whatever theme Miss Blanchard has chosen this time."

Her eldest daughter snorts out a laugh before looking at the empty seat beside her, "Where's Gina?"

"She ran straight up to her room after school. I couldn't get her to tell me why but I have a feeling now it'll be to do with this party."

Zelena nods, "It's because of her lip." A few days ago her sister was looking after a neighbour's cat when a dog went for it. She defended it and in the scuffle her lip was cut. She saved the cat and it will only be a little scar but right now it's freshly stitched and quite red and raw. It'll go down but Regina still feels very self-conscious about it at the moment. Zelena knows it's the reason behind her sister shying away and for her not wanting to go out to party. Regina is a shy enough teenager at the best of times but add the scar in and she won't go anywhere besides school.

"Maybe I should go talk to her. Someone will still want to dance with her. She's a beautiful girl."

"I'll go," Zelena says, "No offense Mom but you kind of have to tell her she's beautiful because you're her mother."

"And you don't as her sister?" Cora asks pointedly.

"It's not that but she listens to me a lot more."

"That's because you're her big sister," Cora says with a warm smile. Zelena nods, "That I am. I'll see ya later Mom," she says before running up the stairs. She pushes open her sister's bedroom door as her younger sibling yells "Mom leave me alone."

"Not Mom," Zelena says before walking over to where Regina is lying face-down on the bed and sitting down beside her. Regina sighs before lifting herself to sit knowing her older sister won't let her hide.

"Did she send you up here?" Regina asks scooting to sit next to Zelena.

"Nah, I volunteered. She wanted to but I figured you'd want to talk to me more."

"I do. She doesn't get it," Regina huffs.

"That you don't want to go to the party because of your scar? She gets it. She still thinks people will hang out with you because you're an awesome friend and you're still beautiful even if you don't think you are. She's right but I figured you knew that already."

"She can say it all she likes but I'm not you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Everyone thinks of me as Zelena's younger sister. I'm not as sociable as you. I'm not as athletic as you. I'm not as pretty."

Zelena sighs, "That's bullcrap. You might be my younger sister but that's not all you are. You're smarter than I am and sassier than me. You're all kinds of awesome. As for being pretty you are. Right now you don't think it because of that scar but it'll go down."

"That doesn't help for the party though."

Zelena nods before she spots something from one of Regina's old drama performances, "Go with me."

"Zellie," Regina whines but Zelena returns with two half face masks and she can't help but laugh. They go to the party in the end using their half masks to dress as yin and yang.

* * *

Zelena knocks on Regina's apartment door with a worried frown. She got a phone call at 3am of Regina just sobbing. At twenty-two she knows a 3am phone call does not mean good news and the sobbing put her on high alert. She took the day off work and hurried over to make sure her sister was alright.

The door opens to reveal Regina in her pyjamas with mascara rimmed eyes giving her the panda effect. She can see tears tracking down Regina's cheeks. Even after twenty years as a big sister seeing Regina upset still saddens her.

She quickly pulls her younger sister in for a hug, "Hey what happened"? she asks rubbing the other woman's back as Regina cries against her. Eventually Regina's sobs die down enough for her words to finally become coherent. "He broke up with me," Regina says.

"What?" Zelena asks.

"Daniel. He said he met someone else. He broke up with me," Regina says before bursting into a fresh round of sobs.

Zelena scowls as the truth comes out. Daniel was her sister's first boyfriend. They've been together for two and a half years and he suddenly ditches her for someone else? Were it not for the fact that Regina would hold her back she'd march over there right now and punch him in the face for breaking her sister's heart. She takes a deep breath to calm her anger and focus on just helping Regina through this.

"He's a jackass," Zelena says after five minutes of hugging and soothing words. At that Regina chuckles sadly, "He is."

"What do you want to do?" Zelena asks. When she broke up with Walsh they went out and got drunk while she ranted about him to get it out of her system. She doubts Regina wants to do that and wracks her brain for break-up cheer up methods. She knows a day won't cure much but her job as big sister is to boost Regina's spirits.

"Ice cream," Regina replies and Zelena smiles. Whenever there was a problem when they were teenagers ice cream always made her smile. She walks over to the freezer finding a container of rocky road. She grabs two spoons and a bottle of wine at which Regina raises a brow. "Just in case you want to drink and vent," Zelena explains before sitting down on the sofa and gesturing for her sister to join her.

They spend the rest of the day watching cheesy rom-coms and eating ice-cream until Regina decides she's ready to crack open the wine and vent about her first messy break-up.

* * *

The next time Zelena receives a frantic phone call is four years later. This time she knows it truly is an emergency and she rushes to the hospital. Two months after her break up with Daniel Regina found out she was pregnant. He wasn't interested in being a Dad and for a while Regina panicked she couldn't raise a baby by herself. After a kick in the ass from Zelena, her mother and Granny she knew she'd be fine, that she wouldn't be alone because she had a pretty awesome support system.

Now she's a twenty-four year old single mother of an adorable excitable four year old named Henry. He's a sweet kid and he has his mother, aunt and grandmother wrapped around his finger.

Zelena rushes through the hospital doors to find her sister frantically pacing the waiting room. Just like when they were kids Regina spots her sister and runs towards her before colliding with Zelena. The older woman just puts her arms around Regina.

"What happened?" she asks.

"We were playing and he was running around and then he just tripped and fell. He's my baby Zelena," Regina says fearfully, "What if he's not okay?"

"Hey," Zelena replies soothingly, "Listen up Regina. You don't that anything's wrong. Let's not jump to conclusions and worst case scenarios okay? Henry is an incredibly strong and amazing kid. He'll be just fine I promise."

"Pinky promise?" Regina asks.

Zelena smiles at the promises they used to share. She thinks of when she was four and Regina was two and she introduced the younger girl to pinky promises. She wraps her finger around Regina's, "I pinky promise."

She puts her arm around Regina before leading her to a chair in the waiting room. Pacing and panicking is doing her no good. She needs to sit and wait and be calm for her son. Zelena holds her sister doing her best to keep her fears at bay.

They both smile in relief when Henry comes out sporting a blue cast on his arm. His eyes widen in excitement when he sees Zelena, "Auntie Zellie!" he shouts running into his aunt's arms. "Look," he yells, "I got a cast and it's blue so you can't sign it with a blue pen."

She laughs, "I guess I'll have to use my green one."

He nods and grins and she turns to her sister before linking their pinkies again, "See they never fail." At that Regina laughs before looking over her son.

* * *

"So what are we watching?" Zelena asks as she walks into the Diner and sees Granny observing something intently. She may be thirty now but one of her favourite things on earth is still a nice hot mug of Granny's cocoa.

Granny smiles, "We're watching your sister ogle the new Sheriff."

At that Regina turns with a scarlet blush, "I am not ogling."

Zelena smiles at her sister's reddened cheeks, "Oh yeah? So why are you blushing? I didn't know Mayors blushed like schoolgirls," she says using her sister's new title.

Regina rolls her eyes, "They don't and I'm not."

"Of course you aren't," Granny replies knowingly, "You must have some other reason to stare at Emma's chest for twenty minutes straight."

Regina ducks her head to avoid their scrutinising looks and both women know that Regina is crushing hard on the newest resident of the town. They also know that since Daniel, the other woman is wary of love and leaping into relationships.

Zelena moves to the seat next to her sister before taking her hand, "You can't run forever 'Gina."

Regina looks up at her, "I'm not running," she says quietly, "She probably doesn't feel the same way anyway."

"And how would you know if you don't even try?" Zelena asks, "I know that after Daniel you're worried about starting a relationship but you can't avoid them forever. He wasn't worth it but some people are. Emma might be the one. Do you like her?"

Regina sighs before mumbling, "Yes."

Zelena grins, "So then do you really want to miss the chance for happiness? What if she is the one for you? You're a single mom and a great one. Plus now you're a Mayor so I know you've got the bravery to go for it. Don't chicken out Regina, not when it comes to love. Go, take a chance. If you do it I might even buy you a cocoa."

"If she does it Emma might buy her one," Granny adds, "Now go on girl take your chance."

Regina looks between both of them before back over to Emma. She takes a deep breath. Her sister gives her hand an encouraging squeeze and she smiles before standing confidently. "Wish me luck," she says to Zelena who grins, "You don't need it," her sister says reassuringly. She smiles before walking over to Emma and taking a chance.

* * *

Two years later and Zelena smiles as she watches her sister and Emma receive a congratulatory hug from Cora. After taking that chance Emma and Regina began to date and since then they've been deliriously happy. Sure they've had their ups and downs but through it all neither considered running away. They were obviously in love and made for each other. Everyone could see it. The two women formed a family with Henry and the boy even calls Emma 'Ma' now. They're the kind of couple that gives Zelena hope in happy endings, even more so now that she's here at their engagement party.

Regina walks over to her, "So?" she asks and Zelena grins before pulling her sister in for a hug.

"So you're welcome," Zelena replies.

"What?" Regina asks.

"Hey I encouraged you to ask her out. I told you to take a chance and what do you know? Big sisters. Always right."

Regina rolls her eyes, "I'll admit you were on the mark with Emma."

"I can tell. You two are ridiculously adorably happy."

"She is ridiculously adorable," Regina says lovingly looking over at her fiancée who she loves more than she ever believed she could love someone.

Zelena chuckles knowing the pair will be together for the rest of their lives. She can see it in their eyes that they're soulmates. She smiles before turning to her sister, "So onto the important question. Have you picked a maid of honour?"

Regina shakes her head before smiling and looking at her, "Who else but my big sister?"

_Thanks for reading :) _


End file.
